Google May Brand its Self-Driving Cars “Robo Taxis”

Google has been talking about driverless cars for a while now. It has logged 300,000 miles on the road without a single accident. and has even persuaded California to legalize the self-driving car. Now, Jessica Lessin is reporting that the Internet giant may market its self-driving car as a “Robo Taxi,” instead of selling the cars directly to consumers.

The former WSJ staffer has learned that Google could launch a fleet of automated taxis that would pick up passengers by request, hopefully cutting down on accidents as well as the need for people to own their own cars. Lessin also reports that the company could roll out its “Robo Taxi” similar to the way it launched Google Fiber, targeting smaller, underserved regions initially.

The most difficult part of popularizing the driverless-car, however, may be convincing car companies and manufactures to get on board. Google is reportedly working with component companies including Continental AG and Magna International, and may be close to finalizing a deal with the former. To really succeed, however, Google may need to partner with a well known automaker.